Nitrogen Fixation (Acetylene Reduction) Associated with Roots of Winter Wheat and Sorghum in Nebraska

Root segments and root-soil cores (6.5-cm diameter) from fields and nurseries of winter wheat and sorghum were tested for N2 fixation by using the acetylene reduction assay. Wheat samples (~1,200) from 109 sites generally had low or no activity (0 to 3.1 nmol of C2H4 produced per h per g [dry weight] of root segments), even after 24 h of incubation. However, a commercial field of Scout 66, located in western Nebraska, exhibited appreciable activity (290 nmol of C2H4 produced per h per g [dry weight] of root segments). Of 400 sorghum lines and crosses, grain sorghums (i.e., CK-60A, Wheatland A, B517, and NP-16) generally exhibited higher nitrogenase activity than forage sorghums or winter wheats. CK-60A, a male sterile grain sorghum, was sampled at four locations and had the most consistent activity of 24 to 1,100 nmol of C2H4 produced per h per core. The maximum rate extrapolated to 2.5 g of N per hectare per day. Numerous N2-fixing bacterial isolates were obtained from wheat and sorghum roots that exhibited high nitrogenase activity. Most isolates were members of the Enterobacteriacae, i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Erwinia herbicola

Nonsymbiotic hemoglobins in rice are synthesized during germination and in differentiating cell types

Nonsymbiotic hemoglobins (ns-Hbs) previously have been found in monocots and dicots; however, very little is known about the tissue and cell type localization as well as the physiological function(s) of these oxygen-binding proteins. We report the immunodetection and immunolocalization of ns-Hbs in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by Western blotting and in situ confocal laser scanning techniques. Ns-Hbs were detected in soluble extracts of different tissues from the developing rice seedling by immunoblotting. Levels of ns-Hbs increased in the germinating seed for the first six days following imbibition and remained relatively constant thereafter. In contrast, ns-Hb levels decreased during leaf maturation. Roots and mesocotyls contained detectable, but low levels of ns-Hbs. Split-seed experiments revealed that ns-Hbs are synthesized de novo during seed germination and are expressed in the absence of any signal originating from the embryo. Immunolocalization of ns-Hbs by con- focal microscopy indicated the presence of ns-Hbs primarily in differentiated and differentiating cell types of the developing seedling, such as the aleurone, scutellum, root cap cells, sclerenchyma, and tracheary elements. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the specific cellular localization of these proteins during seedling development

Nonsymbiotic hemoglobins in rice are synthesized during germination and in differentiating cell types

Nonsymbiotic hemoglobins (ns-Hbs) previously have been found in monocots and dicots; however, very little is known about the tissue and cell type localization as well as the physiological function(s) of these oxygen-binding proteins. We report the immunodetection and immunolocalization of ns-Hbs in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by Western blotting and in situ confocal laser scanning techniques. Ns-Hbs were detected in soluble extracts of different tissues from the developing rice seedling by immunoblotting. Levels of ns-Hbs increased in the germinating seed for the first six days following imbibition and remained relatively constant thereafter. In contrast, ns-Hb levels decreased during leaf maturation. Roots and mesocotyls contained detectable, but low levels of ns-Hbs. Split-seed experiments revealed that ns-Hbs are synthesized de novo during seed germination and are expressed in the absence of any signal originating from the embryo. Immunolocalization of ns-Hbs by con- focal microscopy indicated the presence of ns-Hbs primarily in differentiated and differentiating cell types of the developing seedling, such as the aleurone, scutellum, root cap cells, sclerenchyma, and tracheary elements. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the specific cellular localization of these proteins during seedling development

C. PRESL) at the transcriptional level.

This paper investigates differences in gene expression among the two Thlaspi caerulescens ecotypes La Calamine (LC) and Lellingen (LE) that have been shown to differ in metal tolerance and metal uptake. LC originates from a metalliferous soil and tolerates higher metal concentrations than LE which originates from a non-metalliferous soil. The two ecotypes were treated with different levels of zinc in solution culture, and differences in gene expression were assessed through application of a cDNA microarray consisting of 1,700 root and 2,700 shoot cDNAs. Hybridisation of root and shoot cDNA from the two ecotypes revealed a total of 257 differentially expressed genes. The regulation of selected genes was verified by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Comparison of the expression profiles of the two ecotypes suggests that LC has a higher capacity to cope with reactive oxygen species and to avoid the formation of peroxynitrite. Furthermore, increased transcripts for the genes encoding for water channel proteins could explain the higher Zn tolerance of LC compared to LE. The higher Zn tolerance of LC was reflected by a lower expression of the genes involved in disease and defence mechanisms. The results of this study provide a valuable set of data that may help to improve our understanding of the mechanisms employed by plants to tolerate toxic concentrations of metal in the soil

Purification and Characterization of a Soybean Root Nodule Phosphatase Expressed in \u3ci\u3ePichia pastoris\u3c/i\u3e

Soybean root nodules possess a developmentally regulated acid phosphatase (ACP) that exhibits the highest specificity for purine 5’-nucleoside monophosphates. The enzyme is a glycosylated dimer of 28- and 31-kDa subunits, which appear to be products of the same gene but differ in posttranslational modifications. In order to perform directed mutagenesis and more extensive biochemical characterization, a means of producing recombinant ACP was needed. Several attempts were made to express ACP in Escherichia coli, but all conditions employed resulted in protein that was found entirely in inclusion bodies, and resolubilization experiments were unsuccessful. Therefore, the methyltrophic yeast Pichia pastoris was chosen as a eukaryotic expression host. The coding sequence of ACP was cloned into the pPIC9 vector to create a fusion with the yeast α mating factor secretion signal. The ACP:pPIC9 construct was integrated into P. pastoris strain GS115. Expression of ACP was under the control of an alcohol oxidase methanol-inducible promoter. Methanol induction resulted in secretion of ACP to a level of 10 mg/L. The recombinant ACP was purified 550-fold to homogeneity by phenyl-Sepharose, hydroxyapatite, and MonoS chromatography. The purified enzyme had Km values of 0.08 and 0.12 for 5’-AMP and 5’-GMP. These values were similar to those obtained for the native ACP heterodimer purified from soybean (0.08 and 0.15 mM for 5’-AMP and 5’-GMP). The specific activity of the recombinant enzyme for all substrates tested was 1.6- to 1.8-fold higher than the values for the purified soybean heterodimer